Progress in machine learning, language understanding, and artificial intelligence are changing the way users interact with computers. Virtual assistants, such as Siri™ Google Now™, Amazon Echo™, and Cortana™, are examples of a shift in human computer interaction. A user may rely on a virtual assistant to facilitate carrying out certain computer-implemented tasks. In operation, the user may directly issue a spoken command to the virtual assistant, such as by uttering, “Assistant, set up an appointment with John Smith on Tuesday at 10 o'clock AM.” The virtual assistant applies natural language processing to interpret the user's spoken command, and then carries out the user's command. While virtual assistant technology now offers satisfactory availability, accuracy, and convenience, interacting with a virtual assistant represents an artificial human-machine exchange that departs from the typical manner in which users interact with their environments. A user often wants or needs to multi-task so that various tasks can be performed while communicating with others using devices such as smartphones or computers. However, attempting to multi-task during a spoken conversation can often lead to a disjointed, halting, or confusing interaction. Conventional solutions use some form of digital assistant that are available on a variety of computing platforms but the ability to employ them in useful ways during communications with another party is very limited.